The Ela's Disguise
by PalindromeIsntOne
Summary: Merlin tries to catch a mischievous Ela faerie whilst trying to deal with his feelings for Arthur. But neither task is going to be as simple as it originally seemed... GwainexMerlin, ArthurxGwen
1. Chapter 1

**Merry Christmas, Squilf and all! Enjoy :)

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Merlin rolled over in bed, unable to sleep. He thought of Arthur and Gwen, and felt a resigned sense of sadness nestle deep inside him. It was an uncomfortably warm night and the blanket itched as it rubbed against his neck. After a while he gave up sleep altogether and sat upright in bed, staring into the empty room and wishing he had something to do. Slowly he stood and walked to the window, thinking to himself. Arthur… he had barely begun to know how to feel, and now… He sighed, unsure of himself. Was he jealous of Gwen? How could he know what to be jealous of – he had never had that sort of relationship with Arthur, had never wanted it…The window's dark surface cast his reflection back at him. His eyes betrayed more certainty than he felt. He let his mind go blank, and suddenly something more material occurred to him – why could he see his reflection in the window? There was no light source coming from behind him… He turned around, puzzled. And there, hovering in the centre of the room, was his answer.

The light was coming from a small golden sphere, about equal to a large coin in diameter. It glowed softly like an ember, and as he watched it it began to move in a looping series of figure-eights before suddenly picking up speed and changing course to circle the room, bobbing and weaving around various items as it went. As it flew in Merlin's direction he swatted at it instinctively but it dodged easily under his arm and circled him quickly several times. Sensing magic radiating from it he searched around quickly for some sort of container to catch it in, but even if he had found one he didn't think he could have captured it – it flew erratically from one side of the room to the next, whizzing and looping around in a playful manner before slipping out under the door. He moved to pursue it, but having opened the door he could see no sight of it anywhere. He frowned, mildly annoyed that a source of distraction had escaped him. The corridor was quiet and empty. Once more Arthur flickered through his mind. He didn't think he could get back to sleep. So, with the flying orb as an excuse, he headed off to see Gaius.

"Merlin?" Gaius woke reluctantly, then sat up suddenly at the sight of him. "Has something happened?"

Merlin took a deep breath. "I saw a golden orb flying around in my room. Like a faerie."

Gaius frowned. "Are you sure? It might just have been a firefly."

"I could sense the magic from it."

"Hmmm…" He got up and conducted Merlin to a seat before sitting down himself. Silently, he took in Merlin's tired eyes and sad expression. "Are you quite alright, Merlin?"

"Yes. But I really think that it was a faerie I saw…"

Gaius waved a hand dismissively. "I doubt it. Most faeries are generally harmless and stay away from humans anyway; if you _did_ see one it was probably a privilege."

Merlin stalled, his argument lost. He glanced around the familiar room, unwilling to leave. Gaius sensed his hesitation.

"There is something else bothering you. What is it?"

Merlin gave Gaius a long look, then leant forward and let his head rest in his hands. "Oh, nothing."

"Come on Merlin. You know you can always talk to me."

Merlin paused, then let out a long sigh. "I…It's Arthur."

Gaius raised an eyebrow slightly. "Arthur?"

"I feel…I don't know how I feel…You know." He shrugged, looking down at his feet. Gaius paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Do you love him?" It was the first time Gaius had asked so directly.

Merlin looked to one side, avoiding the question. "He loves Gwen."

"Then are you happy for him?"

"I'm happy that he should be happy. But…ah…" He shifted awkwardly. When he spoke again his voice was a whisper. "Sometimes I wonder…"

Gaius sighed, and put two hands on his shoulders. "You must find out how you feel, Merlin. You should talk to him."

"What? No, no, I can't…"

"You must, Merlin."

Merlin shook his head. "What good would that do?"

Gaius was insistent. "Go and talk to him tomorrow. You've waited long enough. Find out how you feel. Resolve it for yourself."

"I…" He trailed off. Gaius nodded wisely, fixing him with his gaze. "Right," he said eventually.

"Good. Now I think you should get some sleep."

Merlin smiled. "What would I be without you to look after me?"

Gaius laughed. "Lost, I expect. Now go on. I'm tired."

With a grateful smile Merlin left and began to wander back to his own room. Gaius was right; he needed to talk to Arthur. He wasn't sure how he felt, but he knew that he didn't like the idea of leaving it unresolved, to go on watching Arthur and Gwen and being sad and not quite knowing why. In his room he lay down again, thinking to himself until finally his eyes closed and sleep took him.

* * *

Arthur paced his room, breathing in the early morning air. On the chair nearest him his armour lay waiting, but he didn't want to put it on just yet. A fresh breeze drifted in through the window and he ran a hand through his hair, thinking.

"Arthur?"

He turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Gwen!"

She smiled and crossed the room to embrace him. He held her close and kissed her hair, knowing that they wouldn't have long.

"How are you?"

"Fine, yes." She stroked his cheek. "And you?"

"Good." He sighed. "But I can't stay. I have to go and train."

Her face saddened. "I wish we could be together properly."

"I know. But we will, someday."

She sighed. "I wish we could get away for a while. Have a break."

Arthur shook his head. "I would love to, but I have to stay here. There's too much for me to do."

"Just for a few days?"

"I can't."

"People can look after themselves for a few days, I'm sure. I could…call in sick, or something," she suggested hopefully.

Arthur hesitated. He wanted to be with her. Camelot could look after itself for a few days, couldn't it? But no, he had too much responsibility. Torn, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry."

She looked down, upset. Then she leant towards him and lightly pressed her lips to his before turning wordlessly to leave the room. Arthur clenched his fist.

"Wait."

She turned around slowly. "Yes?"

"I…A few days."

"Are you sure?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yes. You're right. We shouldn't have to go on like this, not all the time. I want to be with you."

Her smile melted his heart. "Thank you."

He cast an apprehensive glance around the room. "We'll have to be quick."

She nodded. "I'll get some food, then I'll come back here and meet you."

He smiled. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Spontaneity. Merlin would be proud.

Gwen smiled. They kissed once more, longer this time, and then she turned and stepped lightly out of the room, smiling at him from the doorway before disappearing out of sight. Arthur sighed, feeling slightly tired. Tired of all this hiding, probably. _A few days._ He smiled.

* * *

Merlin walked towards the door and then turned and walked away again nervously. It was a movement he had repeated about five times in the last few minutes. The longer he waited, the harder the idea seemed, the more he wanted to turn back. _Come on. Open door. 'Arthur, can I talk to you for a minute?' _He turned towards the door again, put his hand on the handle. Then he pulled away again. _'Arthur, have you got a moment?' Or maybe, 'Arthur, can I say something?'_ In his mind he saw Arthur turn around and smile at him._ 'Sure, what is it?' _Oh god. He couldn't. He backed away from the door and stared at it. _'It's just… I feel… I was wondering…' _No, this was never going to work. He began to turn away when he heard footsteps coming up the corridor behind him. Damn, he didn't want to be seen like this, staring at a door like an idiot. Impulsively he seized the door handle, turned it and entered. His heart thudded in his chest as he closed it behind him, then he turned around slowly.

"Arthur?"

The room was empty. Merlin frowned, both relieved and confused. Where was Arthur? He was always in his room at this time of morning. Bewildered, he walked around the room, looking for clues. Arthur's armour still lay on the chair. He felt himself becoming nervous, but there was bound to be some simple explanation for Arthur's absence. Absently he walked over to the window, but as he looked down he caught sight of two figures hurrying away from the castle. Arthur, and Gwen. Where were they going at this time in the morning? Perhaps they were just sneaking away to share a little time together. He was turning with mixed feelings to leave the room when he caught sight of a note lying on the bed. He crossed the room and picked it up.

_Merlin_, it read, _I have gone away for a few days to spend time with Gwen. I trust you have enough common sense to keep the latter part of this information to yourself. See you when I get back. Arthur._

Merlin scrunched the note up in his hand. Days! Arthur couldn't just leave; he had responsibilities to fulfil. Merlin paced a moment by the window, torn. Why shouldn't he let them go? He'd always supported Arthur and Gwen. Well, he'd supported _Arthur_… Oh why was it that now, when he needed to talk to him, Arthur had chosen run off with the very source of his confusion? He turned and left the room, and went to find Gaius.

"Gaius, I can't."

Gaius turned around from the remedy he was mixing. "Can't do what, Merlin?"

"Talk to Arthur. He's left this morning with Gwen, and I found this note." He passed the piece of paper to Gaius, who read it silently.

"So I can't talk to him because he's gone." Merlin sat down, fidgeting with his hands. "And this is just proof of how much he loves Gwen," he added quietly.

Gaius finished reading the note and looked up. "They can't run away. Even for a few days. If Uther finds out… We must persuade them not to. They can't have already left. I saw Gwen just a moment ago."

Merlin frowned. "No, that's impossible. I was just in Arthur's room – I looked out of the window and saw them both distinctly as they were heading away from the castle, just before I came across the note."

"I spoke to Gwen a moment ago, she'll be just down the corridor."

"Impossible."

Gaius went to the door and Merlin followed him.

"Gwen?"

Gwen, at the end of the corridor, turned around to face them. "Yes?"

Gaius frowned, acting. "I've forgotten now."

Gwen laughed. "Tell me when you remember." Then she turned and continued walking. Gaius retreated back into the room and closed the door. "I told you she would be just down the corridor."

"I saw them walking away from the castle! Both of them!"

"Well you can't have done. From that height it was probably hard to tell."

"No, I definitely recognised their faces – although, I admit, they were fairly small figures."

"Well Gwen can't be in two places at once."

"And there can't be _two_ Gwen's…"

"No." He lapsed into silence, as if searching for a way to dismiss the observation. Merlin's eyes drifted absently over the shelves of various bottles behind him, and he tried to guess from their size and shape what they might contain. But for the most part their contents were as unfathomable as his own emotions. He turned back to Gaius, whose expression had now shifted slightly to become more serious and quizzical.

"Gwen would never try to persuade Arthur to run off with her like that…" Gaius mused. Then his eyes widened suddenly. "Wait_… _Merlin, describe to me again that light you saw last night, in your room…"

"What?"

"Hurry."

"Well it was like a small, golden orb flying around. I thought it might be a faerie but you said–"

"I think you might have been right, Merlin."

"That's not what you said."

"No, you idiot – I mean it might have been a faerie after all." He crossed over to his bed and pulled out a book from underneath it, quickly flicking through the pages. "Was it a bright golden light?"

"No, more of a soft glow."

"Hmmm." Gaius stopped at a page and traced his finger down it. "Here. I think it might have been an Ela, Merlin."

"A what?"

"A shape-shifting faerie," Gaius rushed.

"What? I don't understand your urgency."

"It can take any form, Merlin. The Ela is also known to lure away its chosen victim – it prefers one-on-one encounters. And if it took Gwen's form–"

Merlin's eyes widened suddenly. "You mean you think Arthur has run off with an… _Ela_? The faerie I saw?"

"In the shape of Gwen, yes. It's quite possible."

"But then why didn't _I _see it as Gwen?"

"You saw it in its original form, Merlin. Chances are you were too preoccupied with other thoughts to give it your full attention, and the Ela went for an easier victim. It thrives on attention."

"You say 'victim'…"

"The more attention you give it, the more life force it takes from you."

"What?"

"I'm afraid Arthur is in grave danger, Merlin."

Merlin realised the implication immediately. He would have to go after them. Gaius gave him an apologetic look.

"How long do I have?" he asked, resigned.

"It depends. Perhaps a few days. In Gwen's form the Ela is likely to command a lot of Arthur's attention, and if they are alone together he won't have much else to distract him."

Merlin sighed. "How am I supposed to persuade him it's the Ela?"

Gaius shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't help you there, Merlin. But if you don't follow them Arthur will die."

"Why would the Ela choose Arthur?"

"I don't know. The Ela is essentially just a mischievous fun-seeking faerie, despite the consequences it brings."

"How am I supposed to catch this thing if it can shape-shift?"

"Ah. Well _that_ I can help you with." Gaius went over to one of his shelves and removed a silver flask before passing it to Merlin. "The Ela in its original form, as you first saw it Merlin, will be somewhere on its assumed shape. There will be a spot on it that glows golden and if you grab that area the assumed shape will fall away and you will be holding the original faerie. Then you can put it in the flask."

"Right." Well it _sounded_ simple enough. "I suppose I'd better be off then." He stood and turned to leave.

"Be careful Merlin," Gaius warned from behind him. "You won't want to catch it, but you must."

Merlin paused and looked back, confused. "What do you mean?"

Gaius shook his head. "Go on, you'd better get going, you don't want to waste too much time trying to find them."

Merlin nodded, then headed out of the room. Gaius watched him go, and his heart went out to him.

It was warm outside, the late summer sunshine coming down on Merlin's shoulders and warming his skin. It wasn't a bad day to be sent on a quest. That is, if he had the faintest idea where Arthur might actually have gone. It wouldn't be in the city though – he would stand too great a chance of being noticed. So somewhere romantic and alone… the forest?

Turning down several more streets he picked up speed and began to leave the castle further behind. People saw his determined face and moved out of the way, and he weaved his way through the crowds until he was on a more deserted road. He was lost in his thoughts until a rabble of noise reached him, bringing him back to himself. He heard raised voices and what sounded like a chair or table being broken, and as he rounded the corner he saw Hanferd's tavern, a mass of brawling men in the doorway, threatening to spill out onto the street. As he watched there were more angry shouts followed by the sound of glass smashing, and then with an escalated cry a man was thrown violently out onto the street where he landed in the mud, belly down. A drunken cheer went up from the doorway behind him. The man in the mud rolled over and then looked up. A casual smile crossed his face.

"Hello Merlin."

Merlin's heart leapt. "Gwaine?"

Gwaine got up and shook the worst of the mud off him before approaching Merlin and throwing an arm around his shoulders, quickly marching him onwards and away from the tavern where voices were already being raised again.

"On another quest?" he asked.

"Sort of."

"Need a hand?"

"No, not really."

"Well I'm sure you could do with the company." Gwaine grinned. Merlin shook his head with a smile.

"Are you drunk?"

"Me? Ah, nah…heh." His legs promptly contradicted him and he staggered a little, Merlin supporting him until he found his feet again. "So…where are we going?"

"The forest."

"Ooo…" Gwaine laughed, his eyes glittering mischievously. "Sounds fun."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "You _are_ drunk."

"Huh?" Gwaine righted himself again, and managed to walk on his own for a bit, though not entirely in a straight line. "You should drink sometime. Relax a bit." He aimed for a friendly punch on Merlin's shoulder but missed, overbalanced, and fell over.

"Right. Somehow I don't think so." He leant over and gave Gwaine a hand up. Gwaine would slow him down, no doubt, but he might be helpful once he sobered up.

"So what's the quest?" Gwaine asked, once they were both walking again.

"Well…" He began to explain about the Ela, glad to talk to someone although he wasn't sure how much Gwaine was really listening to. However, Gwaine was convincingly quiet whilst he was talking, and as they reached the forest they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Twigs cracked underfoot as they trudged onwards. The sunlight filtered in through the canopy, highlighting leaves of different colours of textures as it fell. Still there was no sight of Arthur or the Gwen Ela. After a while they paused to rest on a few large rocks beside a stream. Gwaine seemed to have sobered a little in the fresh air and he turned to smile at Merlin as he removed his boots.

"Think I might get the mud off this top," he commented.

Merlin smiled. "Why _were_ you thrown out of Hanferd's?"

He grinned. "Too much fun. They couldn't handle it." In a single smooth movement he removed his top and approached the stream before dropping it in and sitting on the bank beside it. He picked up a more sharply edged rock and used it to start scraping the worst of the mud off.

"So how do you plan to catch this Ela?"

"Grab it where–"

"I know that, but how are you supposed to grab it if it looks like Gwen? Arthur's going to notice."

"I…" He hadn't thought about that. "I'm not sure."

"He's hardly going to believe it's a shape-shifter intent on sucking the life out of him."

Merlin sighed. "We'll have to catch it when it's away from him."

Gwaine's expression told him how likely he thought _that_ would be. But he said nothing, continuing to wash the mud from his shirt. Merlin watched the smooth skin stretch under the movement of his muscles. Gwaine looked up at him.

"You're staring."

"Um…You look kind of…thin…Have you been eating?"

He frowned. "I'm not thin. But I _am_ hungry, as it happens." He stood, slinging his wet shirt over one arm as he made his way back over to Merlin. "Did you bring any food?"

"No, did you?"

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "You saw me getting thrown out of a tavern."

"Right. We'll have to buy someth…" He trailed off. They couldn't go back; they needed to catch up with Arthur. His stomach grumbled.

"It's alright, we can hunt something. I'm sure there's all sorts of animals around here."

"Right." Magic he understood. But when it came to hunting he didn't have a clue.

"What? Not afraid of a little activity, are you?"

Merlin blinked. "No."

"Alright then." Grabbing Merlin by the arm he hauled him up off the rock where he was sitting and steered him further into the woods. "Let's see if we can catch something tasty."

"Do you know how to set a trap then?"

"No."

"Then what's your plan?"

"Hide nearby, then rush in with my sword."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. Together they began to wander through the woods as quietly as possible, scanning around for any signs of animal activity. It seemed hopeless. Gwaine, even sobered slightly, had loud footsteps and as each twig cracked beneath them Merlin tensed, knowing that the noise would frighten away any small animal in the vicinity. He wandered away from Gwaine a bit, fancying his feet rather quieter, and soon, crouching behind a bush, he caught sight of a stray fawn munching at some leaves. The fawn, not noticing him, continued to eat peacefully, and Merlin, forgetting his original intentions, watched it entranced. He felt privileged to be in such close quarters with a wild animal.

"AAAOORRRAAAAHHH!" With something like a war cry Gwaine burst through beside him and dived towards the startled fawn.

"No!" Merlin cried, feeling suddenly protective of it. He heard Gwaine's sword come down hard into the ground and closed his eyes. "Did you get it?" he asked timidly.

"No, it was too nimble. Leapt out of the way as easily as if I had approached it in slow motion."

"Oh." He was both glad and disappointed.

"Perhaps foraging would be easier," Gwaine suggested. Merlin nodded.

"We'll keep heading after Arthur and pick out anything edible we come across along the way."

They continued walking. Berries were in season but unsure of which were edible and which were poisonous Merlin only picked a few, as well as some mushrooms they came across.

"Do you get into many fights then?" Merlin asked after a while.

"A fair few. Only what you'd expect. Mostly your usual tavern brawls. But I did get this note off one woman."

He pulled a little slip of paper from his waistband and passed it over to Merlin.

"'Meet me in the barn'," he read.

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Meet her in the barn?"

"God no. Why, do you think I'm the type?"

Merlin shrugged with an awkward smile. Gwaine pushed his arm playfully.

"Of course I didn't. She had a whip."

Merlin's eyebrows raised. "Right."

Gwaine smiled, remembering. "I was low on cash and went to this cheap, nasty place. Can't remember where. I was pretty drunk and I was teasing the owner. I said 'Have you got anything that's worth drinking if you're not already drunk?' He just laughed. He was a good man; he knew people went there for the prices and not the quality. But his lady here," Gwaine nodded towards the note, "overheard and took offense for him. She glared at me until I finished my drink then approached me just as I was leaving and said 'I'm gonna beat ya to a pulp fur ya slander yer wretch' and thrust this note into my hand and said 'five minutes'. Then she went behind the bar and retrieved a whip she kept behind the counter." He laughed. "I don't know what kind of woman she was. Muscled arms like a weight lifter. So I said 'I don't fight women' and made a quick exit."

"Were you afraid she'd beat you?" Merlin teased. _He had totally got the wrong first impression of that._

Gwaine grinned, but whether he was guessing his thoughts or simply joining in with his tease it was impossible to tell. They continued onwards for a while in silence, admiring the scenery until the sound of female laughter reached them, bringing them out of their thoughts.

"That must be Gwen," Merlin whispered urgently. "I mean, the Ela."

"I can tell."

They slowed their pace slightly, drawing nearer all the while. In the distance Merlin could just about see Arthur and Gwen walking arm in arm. They caught up by degrees, Merlin trying to plan how he would catch the Ela, and how he would then explain Gwen's absence to Arthur. He sighed. He might just have to make that up as he went along – the important thing now was to save Arthur's life before the Ela drained it.

Arthur and Gwen steadily slowed, looking for a place to stop. Merlin and Gwaine slowed likewise. Gwen didn't look particularly tired, but Arthur was very chivalrous in his concern that they should stop and rest by some nearby caves. As Merlin drew closer he noted that Arthur actually looked the more tired of the two. No doubt the Ela's fault. _The more attention you give it, the more life force it takes from you._ And of course, Arthur was giving Gwen a lot of attention. The thought made him feel slightly ill. He put it down to worry, but deeper down a part of him suspected its cause lay mixed in with another feeling.

"So what now?" Gwaine consulted in a whisper.

Merlin shrugged. They were only a few metres away from Arthur now, and hiding behind the trunk of a large tree as Arthur and Gwen made themselves more comfortable in the small clearing around the caves.

"We can't just rush in and grab it, we don't know where the glowing part is."

"Well I'd rather not follow them until we do know. Forgive me, but I've never taken a great interest in love-bird watching."

"I doubt we'll get her alone, so any attempt to catch her will involve making our presence known anyway. So we might as well introduce ourselves and make some excuse for accompanying them."

"What, like, 'Just thought we'd join you for a double date'?" Gwaine joked.

"No, I wasn't thinking of that."

"Me neither." He paused. "Go on then."

Merlin took a deep breath, and then stepped out from behind the tree and approached.

"Arthur."

Arthur looked around immediately from where he stood and gave a small smile of pleasant surprise.

"Merlin?" Then he checked himself, and frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I noticed your absence from the castle and–"

"Well yes, and you're meant to be there now, _covering_ for me. Didn't you get my note?"

"Yes, I did."

"Then why are you here?"

"It's irresponsible of you–"

"A _few days_, Merlin. With the woman I love. Is that too much to ask?"

Merlin sighed, stumbling for more excuses. It was at this point that Gwaine decided to show himself.

"Hi."

Arthur stared at him then turned furiously on Merlin. "And what is _he_ doing here?"

"Just bumped into Merlin and thought I'd tag along with him for a while," Gwaine supplied.

"And are you here to persuade me back to the castle as well?"

"Are you asking _me_ for an opinion on responsibility?" He laughed. Merlin smiled. Arthur glared.

"No, I'm not. And you can both leave."

"No, no I'm not going anywhere." Merlin shook his head.

"Merlin–"

"If you're not coming back then I'll have to stay here. What if you get lost–"

"I'm not going to–"

"Or get attacked by bandits? And no one knows where you are?"

"If I do get attacked I hardly think _you_ would be of any–"

"I'll stay out of the way, promise."

"I really don't think–"

"Were you trying to light a fire?" Gwaine interrupted, pointing behind him. "Because that stone isn't flint and you could strike it for hours and all you'd get is sore muscles."

"Well–"

"Leave it to me." Gwaine pushed past as Arthur looked on, exasperated. He turned to Merlin.

"You _will_ stay out of the way."

"I promise." He held his hands up.

"Don't worry Arthur. I don't mind." It was Gwen's voice. Arthur turned around and went to sit beside her, his mood lightening already. Merlin tried and failed to subdue a grin at the sudden change. Arthur noticed him.

"And you can make up some bedding inside the caves, make yourself useful."

"But I thought you wanted me to stay out of the way?"

"Don't be clever."

Merlin smiled and began to head back towards the forest in search of suitable bedding material. Arthur grabbed his arm.

"Oh, and put me and Gwen in the same spot… if you understand."

Merlin gave the slightest nod and then turned away. He had planned to keep them separate so that the Ela couldn't command any more of Arthur's attention. But then he reassured himself that the Ela wouldn't get any attention out of Arthur whilst he was asleep.

By the time he had returned and sorted it all out the fire was lit and Arthur was sharing out some of the food supplies, a mixture of what he had brought himself in a large sack and what Merlin and Gwaine had foraged on the way there.

"These mushrooms are great," Gwaine mumbled, his mouth full.

"But it's just as well Arthur reminded me to bring this ham or we'd have no meat," Gwen added, leaning towards Arthur and feeding him a piece, blushing as she did so as if she was embarrassed by her own forwardness. Gwaine inclined his head towards Merlin with a knowing smile. But Merlin didn't notice him and ate another mushroom quietly, his thoughts preoccupied. He had managed, without staring, to work out that the glowing centre of the Ela was in the pendant of a simple necklace Gwen was wearing around her neck. It was a very slight glow, especially whilst the sun was still shining, but Merlin was sure that was it. The only question now – how to get hold of it?

Evening progressed slowly, and as Arthur and Gwen remained outside to admire the sunset Merlin and Gwaine headed into the caves for some rest. There was a slight incline down into the entrance and then suddenly the space opened up into a large dome shape, with several tunnels leading off from it in different directions.

"Wow." Gwaine ran a hand over the smooth stone experimentally, and Merlin wondered when Arthur had learnt about such a place. And then it occurred to him that perhaps Arthur hadn't led the way – perhaps the Ela had. It would certainly be to the Ela's advantage to know of a deserted place like this to lure its victims away for one-on-one attention.

"I've set up the bedding through those three tunnels," he announced, pointing. "That one is for Arthur and Gwen, and then those two for one of us each. You can pick. I don't know where the rest of the tunnels go."

"Right. Okay." Gwaine headed off down one of the tunnels Merlin had indicated. Merlin watched him go. He had actually found blankets in one area, and they unnerved him. Of course, they could have just been left behind by outlaws or someone else that had decided to camp here temporarily. But it had only been blankets that he had found, not a mix of things that might have been expected if the occupants had had to leave in a hurry. And the blankets had been folded neatly, too. Merlin shuddered. The Ela was nothing if not prepared. There were enough blankets, in fact, to serve as both mattresses _and_ blankets, but Merlin had spent a lot of time collecting ferns and other plant matter to sleep on so declined this opportunity.

As it grew dark each of them took a hot stone from the fire and retreated into their separate sections of the cave. Merlin huddled up against one of the walls with the blanket tucked snugly around him. He sat as upright as possible, intending to stay awake until Arthur was asleep before attempting to seize the Ela. It was quiet as he sat alone in the darkness, time passing all the slower for the fact he was waiting.

When he felt that he had waited long enough he stood and crept quietly back into the main cave before turning to head into Arthur's chamber. The sound of his breathing seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet. Arthur and Gwen lay side by side, sleeping peacefully, though thankfully not so close as to make his task impossible. With the flask ready in one hand he leant over Gwen carefully. Her necklace glowed more obviously now it was dark and he reached for it, his fingers trembling nervously. But just as he was about to grab it it darted away, passing over Gwen's form until it reached her waist. He reached for it again but once more it shifted, this time so that it was on her thigh. The corner of Gwen's mouth lifted in a smile, as if mocking him. Realising he would have to act faster he quickly snapped his hand towards the glow but yet again it eluded him and his hand slapped against her thigh uselessly. The noise woke Arthur.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.

"I, um…I…There was…a fly. And I was trying to get it because it, um…was buzzing…really loudly."

"_Right._" Arthur glared at him. "You know I can't see a fly but I can see _you_. Get lost."

"Well it, you know, flew off when–"

"Get lost."

"Right, yeah." He retreated quickly back into the main cave and took a deep breath. Evidently this was going to be trickier than he had expected. He sat down where he was, the adrenalin coursing through him making him unwilling to return to sleep. A glimmer of moonlight filtered down through the cave entrance, its pale light blurring into the stone. He watched it for a while, thinking to himself. Time passed without measure. His eyelids were slowly drooping when a faint voice reached him.

"Merlin."

A familiar voice, like something from a dream, half-forgotten. He assumed he was falling asleep and began to shift so that he could stand up and return to his chamber to lie down properly.

"Merlin."

Such a soft sound. He looked up vacantly, turning towards the sound of the voice. A thin figure was silhouetted by the cave entrance, watching him with sad eyes.

"Freya?"

A sad smile lifted her lips. Her skin was pale and faint, like a ghost's.

"Am I dreaming?" he whispered.

"No. You're awake." She slowly extended a hand towards him. He stood and walked hesitantly towards her.

"Freya – is it really you?"

"Yes, Merlin." A tear escaped from one eye and rolled down over her cheek. Hardly knowing what to think he embraced her tightly and then gently released her, disbelieving.

"How are you here?"

She gave a light laugh, not answering him. "I've missed you, Merlin." With one hand she gently stroked his cheek.

"I've missed you too."

"Are you well?"

"Yes." He paused, still shocked. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I often wondered the same thing."

"How did you find me?"

She smiled. "It was like coming home."

"But where have you been?"

Her expression saddened. "Hiding," she whispered.

"I'm sorry."

For a moment they stood in silence, taking each other in. Merlin bit his lip, feeling like he should say something. But somehow he couldn't find the words. She had died, or at least he had thought so, and he had grieved and moved on. He'd almost forgotten her, and now seeing her again he didn't know what to feel. He suppressed a yawn, tired. And he found himself wondering – although his affection for her was undeniable, had they had anything more than magic in common? As soon as the thought occurred to him he scolded himself. How many times had he felt lonely for the lacking of that very understanding? He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

"I don't know what to say," he confessed. "You should go – someone will hear us. Find me again in the morning."

"Oh." Her face fell in disappointment. "I didn't realise anyone else was here."

"Yes – Arthur, Gwen and Gwaine, further back in the caves." He looked down, feeling guilty for pushing her away like this. And then he saw it. A golden glow near the base of her dress. _No…_ He looked back up again abruptly, his heart thudding.

"You're… You're the Ela!"

In an instant her disappointed expression gave way to a mischievous smirk.

Reacting immediately he moved to clutch the glowing part, but she stepped nimbly ought of his reach and with a musical laugh began to run towards one of the tunnels. Silently cursing his foolishness he chased after her.

It was almost pitch black in the tunnel. He feared stumbling in the darkness but he knew that if he slowed down he could easily lose her. The sound of footsteps and the golden glow he was pursuing were for some time his only guidance. But by design or a convenient fluke of nature there were at odd intervals holes coming down into the tunnel from above, letting in a little of the moonlight. Yet even then it was impossible to see much more than the faintest outline of the cave walls in the darkness – he realised that the only way the Ela could be running so fast with any confidence would be if it had done the same thing before.

Their footsteps echoed loudly in the tunnel as they ran onwards. Merlin felt his muscles beginning to tire. Either he was slowing down or the Ela was speeding up but the golden glow was getting further and further away. _The more attention you give it, the more life force it takes from you,_ he suddenly remembered. The Ela was running on _his_ energy! No wonder he was beginning to trail behind.

Then suddenly the glow vanished. Merlin assumed the Ela must have turned a corner. He slowed down, putting his hands out in front of him so that he could tell when he reached it. But when he finally made it, looking left or right to see where it had gone, he could see no light anywhere. Holding his breath in the darkness he listened for any footsteps – again, nothing. The Ela had escaped him.

He leant against the cave wall for several moments, catching his breath. Then slowly, feeling his way with one hand against the wall and the other held out in front of him, he began to head back the way he had come. He tried not to think about what it would be like if he got lost.


	2. Chapter 2

"Merlin."

Oh hell, what time was it? Too early to wake up, at any rate. Merlin shifted in his sleep, his head groggy with the rest he had missed. Still half embroiled in sleep his mind recalled that soft voice which had called his name before. Freya. The Ela. The pursuit. He groaned, his mind and muscles remembering the walk back in the dark, the cool stone passing under his hand over and over until his skin felt smooth and numb with the sensation. At two points he had found himself lost, but luckily having remembered the general direction he had headed out from he had managed to find his way back, a time consuming business.

"Merlin!"

The voice was clearer this time. Impatient, and male. Not Freya. Great, he was awake then. And now, as a final cruelty, he had to open his eyes. Bad enough that he was now aware of the fern based bedding itching against his neck, the blanket pulled irregularly over him leaving his back more exposed than his front, the pins and needles beginning in his lower leg. But to open his eyes, and finally acknowledge the task of getting up, was the ultimate acceptance of consciousness. Yet he had to, because some irritating voice was calling him. He opened his eyes.

"Time for breakfast. Come on, get up, lazy." Arthur. Merlin yawned, stretching exaggeratedly, and Arthur responded with a kick to his foot.

"Come on," he repeated, reaching down and hauling Merlin to his feet. "I'll let you off this time, but only because I slept rather late as well."

"Why – you haven't _done_ anything," Merlin teased. But their tiredness was the Ela's fault, he thought to himself. Gwen in Arthur's case, Freya in his.

"Oi!" Arthur punched him playfully on the shoulder, then ruffled his hair. "Come on. Gwen's made breakfast already."

"Right."

"I think she got up earlier just to do it. For all of us, even you and Gwaine." He smiled.

"That's nice."

"It's good to get away and spend time together, even if it's just for a little while."

Merlin smiled. "Good for you."

Arthur grinned and put an arm around him before steering him outside.

"Ah, Merlin! Good morning." Gwaine, sitting cross-legged on the ground a little way away, beckoned him over. Merlin headed towards him and Gwaine tossed him an apple, which he caught before sitting down.

"Late waker, eh?"

"Not normally."

Arthur sat himself between Merlin and Gwen and took the sandwich Gwen offered him. There then followed an awkward silence. Merlin wanted to discuss his encounter with the Ela with Gwaine but couldn't because Arthur and Gwen were right there beside him, and Arthur felt rather self-conscious about trying anything romantic with Gwen with Merlin and Gwaine present. Luckily the first to finish breakfast was Gwen, and as Arthur was finishing likewise she stood with a small smile to take a walk into the forest to explore. Arthur stood to accompany her, and together they walked off.

"Well they're certainly a couple, aren't they?" said Gwaine once they had gone.

"Yes… And it looks like it's going to be impossible to catch her alone. I tried last night but there were…complications."

Gwaine raised an eyebrow. "So Arthur and Gwen were…"

Merlin caught what he was implying and his eyes widened. "No, not…no." He went on to explain what had happened the previous night up to and including his pursuit of the Freya Ela. Gwaine listened attentively.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked when Merlin had finished.

"Well I'll try again tonight…" He looked around in the direction Arthur and Gwen had headed. "…unless we can get it before then."

Gwaine followed the direction of his gaze. "We could."

It was a clear, sunny morning – somehow the challenge seemed more promising in this light. They waited a few minutes, finishing their breakfasts, and then stood and began to follow the route Arthur had taken, catching up steadily.

"The problem is the Ela knows I'm after it now," Merlin whispered as they approached.

Gwaine looked at him. "Right. So you want me to try and catch it instead, I'm guessing."

"That might–"

"It's fine." Gwaine grinned. "Pass me the flask. I'll try and charm Gwen away whilst you distract Arthur."

They walked silently for a while, planning their courses of action. Merlin watched Arthur and Gwen chatting happily. She said something quietly and he laughed and for a moment Merlin forgot she was the Ela and simply saw them as a couple. It was obvious that Arthur was totally infatuated. And it wasn't even Gwen he had run away to spend time with, it wasn't even Gwen he was talking to, it wasn't even Gwen he was…kissing.

Merlin froze where he stood. Automatically, before he had even begun to think about how much life force that would be costing Arthur. It wasn't even Gwen. Couldn't Arthur tell? And Arthur wouldn't even be allowed to remember all this, it occurred to him. The real Gwen back at the castle wouldn't have these memories, and if Arthur did it wouldn't make any sense to her. Gaius would have to give him some sort of forgetting potion when he got back.

"Charming," Gwaine muttered, halting beside Merlin with a sigh. When Merlin didn't say anything he added, "I'll go in shortly after they stop."

Merlin nodded. Arthur and Gwen presently broke apart and resumed walking, both looking bashful. After a short pause they both laughed, then began talking again. A few moments after this Gwaine took several long strides and caught up with them.

"Gwen, hello."

She spun around, startled. "Oh, hello Gwaine."

He grinned. "Didn't expect to bump into you. I came across a lovely spot just a little off that way actually – would you like to see?" Gwaine gestured off to the right.

"Um…"

"Excuse me?" Arthur butted in.

"It won't take a moment," Gwaine continued, completely ignoring Arthur and giving Gwen all his attention.

"Well…"

"Come on. It's almost as beautiful as you." He winked playfully.

Gwen blushed, flattered. Merlin, still watching from a distance, could almost see the thoughts turning inside the Ela's mind, persuaded by the full attention that Gwaine was giving it. He stood absolutely still, observing quietly whilst Gwaine continued to charm, mixing persuasion with a convincingly innocent tone. His refusal to even make eye contact with Arthur was annoying Arthur significantly, and Merlin smiled as he watched him struggling to find a convenient point to politely interrupt. Luckily he didn't get the chance. Gwaine's efforts seemed to be working. Merlin worried about the life force the Ela would be taking from him as he spoke, but reassured himself that his own encounter with the Freya Ela hadn't done him any real harm.

"Alright then, be quick – where is it?" Gwen asked eventually, having lingered long enough to appear that she was unwilling to leave Arthur although she was obviously eager to make use of someone else who was giving her so much attention so willingly. Gwaine put a hand at the base of her back and gently steered her off to the right, pointing.

"Trust me, it's lovely."

Merlin watched as she began to turn and follow Gwaine.

"Wait for me," Arthur said, evidently irritated by Gwaine's interruption. Merlin quickly stepped out from where he'd been hiding in order to stop Arthur from following as well.

"No, you don't need to. It's only a glade of flowers."

"Have you been following us?" asked Arthur, turning towards him.

"No, no. I was just exploring with Gwaine and we both passed it as we were walking," Merlin lied quickly.

Arthur shook his head, and then began to head after Gwen.

"Wait!"

Arthur turned around again. "What is it?"

"As I said, it's only a glade of flowers," Merlin rushed. "Boring. She'll be back in a moment."

"I don't care if it _is_ just flowers, I'm spending time with Gwen."

"Well…okay. But don't you think she seems a bit different?" he tried.

"No, why?"

_Because she's an Ela. But obviously a good actor as well as a shape-shifter,_ he thought to himself.

"I'm…not sure. Perhaps she's just….happier," he bluffed.

"You think?" he asked, pleased.

"Um…yeah… And you?" Merlin ventured. "Are you happier?"

Arthur gave a smile and shrugged. "I feel as good as ever. It's great to spend time with Gwen. Really great." He put a friendly hand on Merlin's shoulder. "Do you think _you'll_ ever find love, Merlin?"

"I don't know."

"Mind you, who'd put up with–"

"Alright, yeah, _thanks_."

Arthur laughed. Merlin shook his head humorously.

"I don't know why Gwen goes for you. You're arrogant, obstinate, annoying…"

"Oi." Arthur shoved him jokingly. "There must be something you like about me."

Merlin paused a moment, but went for the easier answer. "Um…nope, not really…"

They smiled. Merlin paused, knowing he should take Gaius's advice now whilst he had the opportunity to speak to Arthur. But the moment passed, and with mixed feelings he opened his mouth to begin another subject, only to see Gwaine reappear. And to his dismay, with Gwen.

"Sorry," he said, his eyes flicking towards Merlin although he was addressing Arthur, "I couldn't find it. I think I left the glade further behind than I first thought."

"Never mind," Gwen dismissed, if a little curtly. She rejoined Arthur's side and they linked arms.

"I think we'll continue with our walk then," Arthur suggested, giving Merlin and Gwaine a warning glance.

"Right. See you back at camp later," Merlin replied, just to let Arthur know he wasn't getting rid of them for good. Then he turned back towards Gwaine and they headed off into the forest in the opposite direction. Merlin stayed quiet until he estimated they were safely out of Arthur and Gwen's earshot, then asked what happened. Gwaine sighed.

"It was impossible. It pulled the same trick on me that you described – the glowing part just kept shifting."

"Looks like we're going to have to catch it unawares."

"Yeah. I think it's a bit irritated now it knows we're both trying to catch it though."

"I'm sure a few more hours with Arthur will cheer it up," Merlin mumbled. Gwaine caught his expression.

"It'll be alright. There's nothing more we can do now anyway. Come on." He beckoned. "Let's find that glade of flowers."

Merlin smiled despite himself.

They walked for a while quietly. The sunlight danced down through the trees in a playful aspect, flirting with the birdsong as if in spontaneous synchronisation, flitting in between shadows and silence. It was somewhat distracting, in a pleasant way that still allowed thinking without allowing thought to become too deep. In this way Merlin drifted away from thoughts about Arthur and the Ela, and he turned to Gwaine with a smile.

"Are we there yet?"

Gwaine grinned. "Maybe. Either way, there's not much of a path now."

They were quickly approaching a line of thick brambles mixed with the braches of a fallen tree, obscuring much of the way ahead and on their left. It was thinner in some places, and Gwaine peered through inquisitively.

"I can see a lake."

Merlin moved to his side and saw it too. It was a shimmering, clear surface not too far past the brambles, but it seemed impractical to reach.

"I see it."

"I fancy a swim."

"I don't think it would be easy getting through those thorns though."

Gwaine surveyed the brambles thoughtfully. "Nah, it's not a problem, just push some aside…" He picked a section and with one hand began to pull some of the branches to one side, only to snatch it back again. "Ouch. Stupid thorns."

_I told you so._

Gwaine took out his sword, as if intending to pay it back for whatever scratches it had given him. Merlin stared.

"Er…Gwaine, there's no need to go sticking your sword in here. We can take another route."

"I know it seems a pity to have to slash anything up, but it'll be worth it." Hefting his sword high he cut away the worst of it, enough to form a gap they could push through. He went through first, the branches hitching slightly on his clothes, and then he turned back towards Merlin, propping some of the tangled branches and thorns up with his arm to make it easier for Merlin to pass through. Merlin smiled, touched by the gesture, and crouched into the space, creeping through steadily. Gwaine smiled back at him, but became gradually more self-conscious with his impulsive generosity and after a short pause he let his arm drop before turning away. The branches and brambles he had been supporting promptly snapped down onto Merlin, the thorns piercing his clothes and scratching his skin.

"Ow! Thorns!"

Gwaine spun around again instantly, grimacing at his misjudgement. "Sorry, are you alright?"

"_No._"

Looking a little guilty Gwaine helped him the rest of the way through. Merlin felt some of the thorns catch and drag through his skin and winced as he emerged, stumbling a little as he made it to the other side.

"Ouch."

"Let me see," Gwaine commanded gently. Merlin reluctantly obliged, and turned his back to Gwaine, who examined it a minute before saying,

"I can't really see the thorns in this light, but you've definitely caught some. Let's go nearer to the lake." With this he gently took hold of Merlin's arm and steered him towards a place by the lake where there was more light before turning him around to look again.

"Well?" Merlin prompted.

"It's not bad. Just stay still."

"What did you let go for – ow!" He flinched a little as Gwaine pulled the first thorn free.

"I didn't think… I needed to hold them up."

"Right – ow!"

"Sorry. There's a fair few – let's sit down and I'll pull out the rest."

Merlin shifted away shyly. "It's ok – I can pull them out."

Gwaine raised an eyebrow. "Well then you must have eyes on the back of your head, because I don't know how else you're going to see the thorns on your back."

"I can feel for where they are."

"Sure, and whilst you're fumbling around for them you can help them cut further into your back…"

"I'll be fine."

"Slicing through the skin, doing further damage…"

"_Gwaine…_" Merlin rolled his eyes.

"What if they're hooked at the end and you pull them out wrong? Then the hook will rip through–"

"Okay, okay, alright." He grinned, knowing it was Gwaine's way of apologising for getting them there in the first place. They sat down on the grass, Gwaine sitting cross-legged behind Merlin before slowly beginning to take out the thorns. Merlin flinched a little at each removal but smiled despite himself, taken by the ambience of the place. It was beautiful and the light glistened pleasantly on the water's surface, as if inviting him in.

"There's one larger thorn left," Gwaine said after a pause. "Relax."

"Ok…" Merlin diverted his attention briefly from the lake and braced himself. "Ow!"

"Done."

Merlin sighed and flexed his back. "It stings a bit."

Gwaine poked him. "Does that hurt?"

"A bit."

"And here?" Gwaine poked him again at a different spot.

"No, not that much."

"Here?"

"Stop it!" Merlin smiled, both amused and touched by Gwaine's concern and his slightly less commendable way of expressing it.

"Is there blood?" he asked.

"A bit." Gwaine shrugged. "You could wash it off in the lake."

Merlin looked at him a moment to see if he was joking but Gwaine was looking away, his expression neutral. After a moment, with a sneaking suspicion that there was still something prickly irritating his back, Merlin removed his top and neckerchief and laid them to one side. Taking Gwaine's advice he knelt at the very edge of the lake and cupped some water in his hands, tipping it over his head. Most of it caught in his hair, the cold drips falling onto his shoulders so that he shivered. Only a thin stream of water made it down his back, numbing the skin it passed.

"_That_ worked," Gwaine commented sarcastically, moving beside him before cupping some of the water in his own hands and tipping it down Merlin's back for him. He repeated the movement several times in a practical way. Merlin watched him, touched.

"There," he said at last. "Though it would have been easier to just take a swim." He smiled, then looked from Merlin to the lake hopefully. "Come on. I'm going in." Standing, he removed his own top and then pulled off his boots. Merlin spotted a thorn in his arm, ignored because of his attention to Merlin's.

"Wait," he started, just as Gwaine was reaching for his trousers.

Gwaine looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Merlin momentarily forgot what he had been about to say and mumbled something incoherently, realising how it must look. Then he remembered.

"There's a thorn – in your arm."

Gwaine looked down at his left arm on cue, but couldn't see anything.

"Your other arm." He stood and reached for Gwaine's right arm, lifting it gently by the wrist and teasing out the small thorn that had got caught in the skin near his elbow. A small bead of blood formed where it had been. Gwaine inspected it disinterestedly.

"Oh. There."

Merlin smiled and returned the favour that Gwaine had given him earlier by cupping some water in his hand and pouring it over Gwaine's arm. Some of the blood had dried on and he rubbed the skin gently to remove it. For some reason it felt a more intimate gesture than he had expected. Perhaps it was because he was facing Gwaine, whereas before when Gwaine had poured water over _his_ back he had been facing the other way. Perhaps it was the softly smiling, patient look that Gwaine was giving him, putting up with his attention in a way Arthur never would. He finished his task and let Gwaine's arm drop.

"Shall we swim?" Gwaine prompted.

* * *

"Urgh." Arthur took a deep breath and took another step forward, his boot sinking into the mud. With a reluctant suck his other foot came free and he repeated the move, feeling his legs begin to tire. Behind him Gwen sighed, also finding progress difficult.

"Are you alright?" he called behind him.

"Yes…" She smiled back at him. A small smile. Neither of them really wanted to be there. They had slid down a steep incline to reach what had looked like a pleasant green valley, but having reached the bottom they had found the ground bog-like, and with no easy means of climbing back up the sides again to escape.

"I think I'm stuck," Gwen complained.

Arthur twisted in the mud to face her and extended a hand. "Here."

She took his hand and with a heave he pulled her free. They trudged onwards. So much for finding a romantic spot to stop and chat. Like a lake or a small clearing, or even just a simple fallen log to sit on.

"We'll be alright," he said softly. "There'll be a way back up…" He glanced around. Where was there dry ground? "…soon," he finished. He tried to fight the surprising urge to stop where he was, sit down even, just to have a little break before continuing. It seemed like his muscles were tiring faster than they ought to – or perhaps that was just an effect of the thick mud. As if to disprove this odd tiredness to himself he impulsively stopped and offered to carry Gwen until they reached solid ground again.

"There's no need. I'm fine." She smiled sweetly.

"No, you shouldn't have to do this. Come here."

"I don't mind."

"I'll carry you."

She laughed at his persistence. "I'm perfectly capable," she placated.

"Hold on."

"Arthur!" she protested, but gave in easily as he lifted her and looped her hands around his neck. Her eyes sparkled playfully. "Well aren't you charming."

"Yes I am," Arthur agreed, walking onwards with a smile.

They progressed leisurely. Or rather, slowly, not that Arthur wanted to admit it. The inkling of weariness he had felt walking on his own seemed to have doubled now that he was carrying Gwen. He sensed that she was not heavy, yet he was acutely aware of her form against him and every place where their bodies met, especially the bare skin of her wrists and hands where they linked around his neck. She smelt of warm fireplaces and clean blankets. Her gently curving lips parted in a smile as she noticed him observing her.

"You're beautiful," he told her. To this she only blushed.

Eventually the ground began to feel more solid beneath his feet and after a gentle incline they were back on firm ground. Arthur gently placed Gwen back on her feet and took a deep breath, feeling more tired than he hoped was obvious. Honestly, it had only been some thick mud.

"Thank you," said Gwen, blushing.

"Oh…it's no problem."

"I hope I wasn't too heavy for you."

"No, not at all," Arthur reassured her with a smile. She leant up and kissed him briefly on the cheek.

"Shall we keep going then?"

"Yes, let's." Arthur nodded, indicating for her to lead the way. But as she turned to take a step her foot caught in the bottom of her dress and she tripped, falling down flat on her stomach.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked quickly.

She rolled over with a laugh. "Yes, I'm fine."

He extended a hand to help her up, but instead of taking it she patted the ground beside her.

"Let's stop and lie here a while. We don't have anywhere to be."

"I…suppose." A little surprised but not unwilling Arthur knelt before tentatively moving to lie next to her. She turned and curled against him, draping one arm over his chest. He put an arm around her and held her close, gazing up at the canopy above them. Now he was lying down he wished he had come up with some excuse to keep moving – like this he felt it would be all too easy to fall asleep. He shouldn't be tired… But everything around him seemed to be lulling him to sleep, from the warm sunlight on his face to the quiet, contented breathing of Gwen lying next to him. He ought to stay awake and talk to her, make use of the time they had together. For a moment he struggled, but his body was winning the argument. What harm could it do to have a little rest? He turned his cheek against the soft waves of Gwen's hair and closed his eyes.

* * *

Gwaine waded in enthusiastically, beckoning for Merlin to follow.

"Come on! The water's lovely!"

"Do we have to?"

"Yes!" Gwaine laughed, staggering back towards Merlin and dragging him into the water. Merlin struggled playfully and Gwaine splashed him, soaking him instantly.

"_Gwaine_!"

"What?"

Merlin feigned a scowl, then splashed him back. Gwaine laughed and returned the gesture, and then suddenly they were play-fighting, water splashing everywhere. Gwaine managed to grab hold of Merlin and tussled with him deeper into the lake until they were in up to their shoulders, a mixture of thrashing limbs. It was impossible to tell who was winning; in the struggle Merlin could hardly work out which legs were his as wet skin and water collided over and over, each of them trying to submerge the other. They snatched breath in between attempts, Gwaine gaining the upper hand as the stronger of the two until a well placed shove sent each of them in opposite directions under the water. As his momentum slowed, the sudden quiet took Merlin by surprise. Suspended and surrounded in the murky blue, he peered through the water and saw Gwaine as a blurred figure a little way away. It was almost surreal, calming. Gwaine bubbled something at him but he couldn't hear; both sound and light were muffled by the water. He felt like they might have been like this forever, floating in this nowhere-land together peacefully, a sort of meditation.

Then something collided with his back, probably a peeved fish. Snapping back to himself he kicked back up to the surface and took a deep breath. Not far from him Gwaine also resurfaced.

"Enough?"

Merlin nodded. They swam back towards the edge of the lake and stumbled back onto the dry ground. Water dripped from Merlin's fringe into his eyes. He blinked it away, looking for something to dry his face, only to see Gwaine using his neckerchief for that very purpose.

"Oi!"

Gwaine grinned and threw it back to him. Merlin caught it reflexively and sighed before sitting down. It was soaked through and Gwaine's hair was already dripping more water into his face, making the effort pointless. His skin glistened in the sun as the water followed the curves of his muscles, taking Merlin's eye with it.

"You're staring," Gwaine commented casually.

Merlin blinked. "Huh? Oh…It's just…the sunlight."

Gwaine grinned and sat down next to him. "I like it. It's like a late summer holiday." He glanced at Merlin sympathetically. "I don't suppose _you_ ever get a holiday?"

Merlin laughed. "Do _you_?"

"My life is a holiday." He smiled, and paused deliberately. "It get's lonely though."

There was something in his tone Merlin wasn't sure he understood. He shrugged. "I'd keep you company," he said easily.

Gwaine laughed. "You're too sweet." He put an arm around him and pulled him close in a sort of rough half-hug. Merlin smiled. Gwaine relaxed his arm, but didn't remove it. Merlin didn't mind. It was oddly comfortable, lying next to Gwaine like this. The cold water from the lake slowly left him, warmed by the sunlight and Gwaine's presence by his side. It was rather nice not to think about saving someone's life for a change – just for now, he could let Arthur take care of himself. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this relaxed. Beside him Gwaine shifted so that he was facing Merlin more fully.

"We should do this more often."

Merlin tensed slightly, becoming more aware of himself. How had he ended up so close to Gwaine?

"Don't you miss your taverns?" he tried.

Gwaine grinned. "Not yet."

Their noses were almost touching. Merlin wasn't quite sure who was responsible, or why, but he stayed still, watching Gwaine's eyes watching him. For a long moment there was silence, a silence that seemed to change subtly until…

"Merlin!"

With a slight gasp Merlin drew away and sat abruptly upright. He turned at the sound of the voice to see Arthur and Gwen approaching from around the other side of the lake. As Arthur drew closer Merlin could see that he was frowning.

"Didn't you think to come and tell us about this place?"

"What?"

Arthur indicated himself and Gwen. "We were looking for someplace _romantic._ Instead we got stuck in a valley of mud whilst _you two_ were relaxing here, like…" He fumbled for a metaphor.

"Princes?" Gwaine supplied.

Arthur glared at him, then cleared his throat and looked meaningfully at Merlin.

"Sorry, did you want us to go?" Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"_Yes_, Merlin. Well done."

Merlin stood with an exaggerated sigh and Gwaine mimicked him, stretching and grinning before they turned to leave in unison. As they walked away Gwaine glanced back once to grin at Gwen, but Merlin couldn't bring himself to look at Arthur. For some reason he felt guilty.

By evening the feeling had had time to fully sink in. He wasn't sure why – nothing had happened between him and Gwaine, but he couldn't help but feel an anxiety at what Arthur might have witnessed, or guessed. However, there wasn't time to think of it. Once more he sat and waited as the darkness flooded through the caves, waiting for Arthur and Gwen to be asleep so that he could try once more to capture the Ela. That is, if the Ela slept at all… It was an uncertainty that was beginning to prey more continuously on his mind. If the Ela didn't sleep how else was he going to get hold of it? He fidgeted with the blanket, counting the seconds.

Night was slow, reluctant, but the moonlight came back as strong as the evening before, enough to grant him a faint outline of advantage to help him find his way to the branch of the cave that led to where Arthur and Gwen lay. But as soon as he arrived beside them he knew from the slight shapes of their shadows that he had already lost. The couple lay pressed together front to front in an affectionate embrace with the golden glow nowhere to be seen, probably trapped between their bodies. No doubt a position the Ela had engineered. For a moment Merlin speculated on the practicality of attempting a capture but sensing its futility retired resigned back to his chamber and sat down again, dejected. Arthur would be okay, he was fairly sure. He hoped. A few days, wasn't that what Gaius had said? They were going back to the castle in a few days. But if he didn't capture the Ela who knew what havoc it could cause, perhaps even at the castle, alternating with the real Gwen and causing trouble for everyone. Or worse, it might persuade Arthur to stay out here in the forest for even longer, long enough to… But he refused to think it. After a moment, as if in slow motion, he leant forward and buried his head in his hands. His breath was the only thing that warmed the air that sat cool and still around him, indifferent.

After a long period of time a slight shuffling sound distracted him. He might have dismissed the noise as coming from himself, but his muscles were already stiff from remaining still for however long. Slowly he raised his head and saw a figure standing silhouetted by what little light there was near the entrance to his particular section of the cave. The figure was leaning against the stone, looking out towards the main cave in their own contemplation. It was Arthur. Merlin watched him for a moment without saying anything, wondering why he had woken and left Gwen. Standing quietly he moved towards him, his heart rate increasing.

"Arthur?"

Arthur turned around, startled. "Oh, Merlin. I didn't realise you were awake."

"I couldn't sleep," he confessed. It occurred to him that if Arthur was here now alone the Gwen Ela must be back in the cave. If only he could get past Arthur, he could reattempt to catch it. But he couldn't think of an excuse that would make it possible.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'm _thinking_, Merlin."

Merlin moved closer to him so that he could see more clearly with the incoming moonlight.

"About what?" he ventured.

"About you."

Merlin's breath caught. _Tell him_. They were both alone. He could tell him, now.

"Eh?" he squeaked.

"Don't be stupid Merlin, of course I'm not thinking about you. What on earth would I be thinking about you for?"

"Er…fnnngh." Merlin pinched himself for his foolishness and took a deep breath. "What then?"

"Since when did you earn the right to be so nosy?"

"Maybe I'm just not used to you keeping your thoughts to yourself," Merlin recovered.

"Oi!" Arthur shoved him a little in retaliation, and then sighed. There was a long pause. "I'm thinking about Gwen."

"Right."

"I wish this opportunity to be alone with her didn't have to be set up like this. I just want to be able to…be myself, in my own home. With her."

"How romantic," Merlin drawled.

"Who says I can't be romantic?"

Merlin cleared his throat and then mimicked Arthur's manoeuvre, shoving him back.

"That's _you_, Merlin."

"Being nice to your friends is always a start." The calm teasing in his voice was completely separate from his churning stomach, the nervousness spreading throughout him.

"Well I don't do that to Gwen," Arthur muttered.

"I hope not." There was another pause. Merlin shifted a little on the spot. "Was it l-love at first sight?

"What?"

"You and Gwen."

"I don't know. I always _liked_ her. I think the love came later. Why?"

"So you believe then…that l-love can develop over time? For someone that you just liked at first?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Arthur shrugged, then frowned a little. "Are you alright, Merlin?"

"Huh? Oh… yes. I just think that… I believe that…too." He nodded, feeling a sudden urge to sit down as his legs shook slightly beneath him. With an effort of will he took a deep breath. _It's only Arthur._ Oh god, how was he going to even begin to say this? He wasn't even sure how he felt…

"I mean, we've known each other a while, haven't we? It's fair to say we've become closer friends in that time," Arthur commented with a small smile. "And it's been like that with Gwen. Every time I see her I feel closer to her, you know?"

Merlin bit his lip. "Did you never consider…anyone else?"

"I…" Arthur frowned. "What?"

Merlin stumbled, fumbling uselessly for words that wouldn't come. "Well she's not a princess…"

Arthur looked ashamed of him. "That doesn't matter."

"I know…I didn't mean…I…You know, if there had been someone else that you liked…that might have been l-love? But you didn't…you just chose Gwen?"

Arthur stared at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Merlin's mouth was dry; it felt like his throat was going to close up.

"Have _you_ found a girl, Merlin?" Arthur asked brightly after a moment, sounding pleased with himself, as if he'd just worked out the perfect answer. Merlin felt sick.

"No…" His voice trailed off into a whisper. He stared at the cave walls around him, at the smooth moonlight that flowed over the pores and bumps, wishing somehow they might answer Arthur for him.

"Aw come on, you're denying it." Arthur grinned.

"No, no…" His voice was barely above a whisper. They lapsed into silence once more. Merlin watched his face in profile against the moonlight. Did he love him?

"You can tell me." Arthur nudged his shoulder gently.

"I…you," Merlin mumbled helplessly.

"What?"

He took a deep breath. "I like you."

"Good to know Merlin. The state you leave my boots in sometimes, I do wonder."

Merlin swallowed. He had to say it now, or he never would. "I mean, I like you… like Gwen likes you." His tone was too serious to make himself misunderstood.

Arthur stared at him. For a brief moment an expression that might almost have been agony flickered across his face, but was quickly replaced by one of shock.

"You…" The slightest twitch of a fake smile. "You're joking."

Merlin was silent. He watched Arthur's expression change, looking for any way to deny that he understood what Merlin meant. But Merlin said nothing.

"Merlin…" There was the faintest tone of warning in Arthur's voice, and preliminary regret. Merlin knew it was his last chance to backtrack, to pretend he'd been teasing. He felt a lump build in his throat. He should have known it would be like this.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Arthur shook his head slowly. "Do you… love me?" He was still incredulous, doubtful.

"I don't know…" Merlin's voice was faint, faltering. Arthur looked at him for a while without speaking, then raised a hand and briefly tilted Merlin's chin up towards him, perhaps in comfort. The contact was brief and he soon dropped his hand again, conflicted.

"I love Gwen," he said softly. "I…" He ran a hand through his hair, distressed. "I do care about you, but–"

"Stop." Merlin couldn't bear to hear it. Arthur's intense awkwardness was only making him feel worse. Silence felt horribly natural in these caves, and it descended again now; a thin veil, separating them.

"Don't take it badly," Arthur settled for in the end. "You're a… good person." The words weren't his; it wasn't natural for him to say. Merlin felt awful. What if he'd ruined their friendship – for nothing?

"Don't worry," he began. "I would never…" His words trailed away, choked. "It's nothing," he finished. It felt like sticking a last splinter into his wound.

"Right." Arthur's eyes met his. He looked exactly like Merlin might have predicted – shaken, confused, doubtful. But only a moment later it was as if a mask had slipped, and with a sudden move Arthur hugged him tightly, holding him comfortingly as he would never have done normally. The action was oddly devoid of awkwardness. Pity? Merlin folded into his embrace tiredly, no longer caring. He felt a single tear leave his eye and roll down over his cheek towards Arthur's shoulder. He wished he could just stay like this, being held, unthinking. The fabric of Arthur's shirt felt soft against his cheek. Arthur's arms were gentle, almost cradling him as if to comfort a child. Time passed slowly, silent and sorrowful.

And then a voice.

"Merlin, have you seen Gwen?"

At first Merlin ignored it. It had a familiar tone but the words didn't make sense – his ears placed the voice as coming from the wrong direction.

"Merlin?"

He turned his head and looked up.

On the other side of the cave stood Arthur.

"Merlin? Are you alright?"

Merlin blinked, disbelieving. The beginnings of an unpleasant doubt began in his mind, a thought that didn't want thinking. With a slow, sickening feeling, he looked back towards the person who was embracing him. Gwen.

He jumped away, repulsed. _No…_ In a split second his mind pieced together what had happened, recoiling at the realisation. A horrible cold sensation trickled through him. He looked at Gwen. Her expression was blank, her eyes dark, hiding feelings he could only guess at.

"He had a nightmare," she answered for him. _It_ answered. The Ela.

An act.

"Oh." Arthur seemed surprised. But not suspicious. He would never suspect Gwen.

Merlin took a ragged breath, willing his tears away. He'd fallen for an act. How could he not have known the difference? Why hadn't he spotted the glow? Why hadn't he thought to _check_? He curled his hands into fists and dug his fingernails into his palms. Looking at Arthur he felt hopeless, foolish, grieved. There was nothing he could say.

"That's not like you Merlin," Arthur commented at length. "Crying over a little nightmare."


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN:** Sorry for the (extremely) slow update. I want to give a seriously massive thank you to the following people for reviewing: Seydrune, WayRoundWrong, DearGodMerlinIsAwesome, Coby, MarsMonster, Jammeke, ADashOfInsanity, iloveashandquinn, and for anyone else that has read/is reading this story so far._

_My especial thanks goes to Squilf, for whom this story was and is dedicated, and who deserves my apologies most of all. Thank you. Your support has been priceless. x_

* * *

It was, ironically, the Ela he had to thank for getting to sleep that night. Whilst it was the cause of the restless thoughts that kept him mercilessly awake, it was also responsible for the exhaustion that compelled him to sleep. Drained, he slept dreamlessly.

The sunlight crept slowly into the caves, and the soft sound of conversation drifted in to where Merlin was sleeping. He rolled over, unwilling to wake. This proved counterproductive as he felt two hard lumps move under his side in the transition.

"Morning," came a playful drawl. When Merlin didn't reply the voice continued, "You're on my feet."

He recognised the voice as Gwaine's, but didn't open his eyes. A hand came down with a playful pat on his shoulder.

"Hey beautiful. I brought you breakfast."

Slowly, Merlin opened his eyes. Gwaine was crouching beside him, smiling. With one hand he presented an apple.

"Thanks." Merlin took the apple and sat up slowly, stretching, still feeling tired.

"Come on then," Gwaine encouraged, taking him by the arms and gently hauling him to his feet. Merlin let him lead him outside into the sunlight. He looked down at his feet as he heard Arthur and Gwen chatting together, unwilling to face either of them just yet. Sitting down beside Gwaine he took a bite of his apple.

"Alright Merlin?" called Arthur cheerily.

Merlin remained quiet.

"Slept late, eh? Can't have been that bad a nightmare." He smiled.

Merlin could have cringed, but didn't. The comment was untactful, but it was Arthur's way of showing he cared. Merlin's grudge was against someone else. Some_thing_ else. Merlin finished eating his apple and threw the core behind him into the forest. After a few minutes he felt Gwaine nudge his elbow. He looked up.

"What?"

Gwaine pointed to his left and he turned, suddenly finding himself face to face with Gwen. When had she got there? He automatically looked away again, shifting his posture slightly so that he was leaning away from her. He didn't want to look like he was behaving oddly whilst Arthur was there, but there was no way he was giving the Ela any more attention. A moment later he felt Gwen's soft hand gently take hold of his arm. He tensed. On the other side of him he sensed Gwaine tensing also, knowing what she was.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Merlin felt his blood run cold. Surely she wasn't… He turned his head almost automatically to look at her, and found Gwen's soft brown eyes being used to their full depth of expression. Was the Ela talking to him…as the Ela?

"Go away," he muttered under his breath. He didn't believe for a moment that she was genuinely apologetic. She'd acted for the attention, she'd got the attention – what was there for her to regret? Merlin had been the idiot for not recognising her at the start.

Her hand lingered a moment longer on his arm, a light, comforting touch. And then it was gone. What had the Ela hoped to gain by apologising? He rubbed his hand over the place where hers had been, his feelings mixed. The sorrow in her eyes had looked so genuine… But how would he know if it was? He watched as she walked back over to her place beside Arthur, who put his arm around her with a smile. She looked pretty in the morning light. Gwen at her best. She glanced back over at him and he looked away.

"So Merlin," Gwaine began conversationally, "Any plans? I don't fancy watching _them_ all day."

Merlin cast him a sideways glance. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked, more curiously than anything.

Gwaine grinned. "And miss out on the company? Nah, give me a good romp in the forest any day."

Merlin managed a smile. At length he looked back over at the Ela, who now seemed to be teasing Arthur for his ticklishness.

"Sides, and neck, and under your arms…" She laughed as he twisted to get away from her. "Look at you – a manly prince brought down by a single finger."

"Stop it," Arthur protested, his expression mixed with embarrassment and affection.

"Not _that_ manly then…"

"Oi, that's unfair. I could beat many men in a fight."

"I'm sure," she said demurely, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What about me?" challenged Gwaine unexpectedly, interrupting their conversation.

Arthur looked up at him, surprised. "We've fought before," he pointed out.

"That was never finished," Gwaine reminded him.

"There was a fire," Merlin put in quietly as he remembered, curious as to where this was going.

"Yes." Gwaine grinned. "Shall we settle the score then?"

Arthur looked confused. "Are you sure?"

Gwaine's grin spread wider. "Afraid you'll lose?"

Arthur straightened up then, squaring his shoulders assertively. Merlin had to smother a smile.

"Alright," Arthur agreed. He stood up and began to reach for his sword. Merlin watched him, and then looked to Gwaine, finding it hard to believe this was happening so early in the morning. Gwaine, too, was reaching for his sword. As he swung it casually in one hand, he taunted,

"Mind you, all I have to do is get close enough to tickle you."

"Hmmph." Arthur took up a fighting stance. Merlin looked at Gwaine.

"Is this really necessary?"

Gwaine grinned at him. Merlin didn't meet his eye, slightly embarrassed by his own concern.

"I think Merlin's worried you'll lose," Gwaine interpreted to Arthur, refusing to mirror Arthur's more serious pose and slouching lazily where he stood.

"Merlin has more faith in me than that – it's _you_ he's worried for," Arthur retorted.

"_Merlin_ can speak for himself," Merlin snapped, mildly irritated. They both looked at him.

"Alright then Merlin," said Gwaine, amused. "Whose side are you supporting?"

Merlin looked briefly between them, knowing that if he thought seriously about his answer there was bound to be embarrassing repercussions later. "Whoever wins," he answered.

"That'd be me then," announced Gwaine, and with an elegant swing of his sword he advanced on Arthur. As their swords clashed Merlin swiftly scurried out of the way. It occurred to him, suddenly, that Arthur would probably lose. The thought had never left his mind, but he'd only just associated it with the fight – the Ela had sapped Arthur's strength most of all; he would be tired, slower.

Gwaine was typically more roguish in his attacks, at least it seemed so at first – his blows were wide and strong and Arthur retreated blow by blow, though still holding his ground. Distracted by the clanging of metal on metal, it took a long time for Merlin to notice that Gwen had moved to sit nearer to him. He wouldn't have noticed, in fact, but Arthur kept flicking his eyes across to look at her, and wondering what could possibly distract him from a fight, Merlin followed his line of sight.

Gwen was sitting in a laid back manner, subtly posing in a way obviously designed to be provocative. As he watched she ran one finger absent-mindedly around the neckline of her dress, then twirled a strand of hair playfully around her finger. Merlin felt himself tense in disgust, but it was obviously having the opposite effect on Arthur.

Gwaine improvised, breaking a branch off a nearby tree and using it to sweep at Arthur's legs. Arthur stumbled briefly, narrowly avoiding a thrust to the chest, and twisted away, ducking under Gwaine's arm and swinging an elbow into his ribs. Meanwhile Gwen leant slowly forwards with an interested expression on her face, but from the slightly exaggerated curve of her back Merlin knew she was simply displaying her cleavage.

With renewed passion Arthur arched his sword towards Gwaine's throat, only to be prevented at the last moment caught by a lucky kick to the stomach.

"Reflexes," Gwaine grinned, charging at Arthur whilst he was still off-balance. Arthur tripped but rolled away, his eyes catching Gwen's at the last moment. Then he yelped, his momentary distraction allowing Gwaine's sword to graze a small cut on his leg. Merlin glanced back at Gwen. She turned casually towards him, sensing his gaze, and smiled. This only increased his irritation. There was no way this could be a fair fight whilst she was acting like that.

By luck or mercy Arthur found his feet again, breathing heavily though obviously trying not to. Gwaine smiled at him. Once more their swords engaged, twisting and blocking as they each sought for a compromise of strength and agility. Merlin snuck another glance at the Ela. If _he_ caught her attention, he realised, he would reduce her effects on Arthur, make it a fairer fight for them both.

"Who do you think will win?" he asked her slyly.

She looked at him, then shrugged. She began to look back towards the fight.

"You're meant to say Arthur," Merlin said to distract her. She looked at him quietly. She was probably confused – she knew that he knew what she was – why would he voluntarily give her his attention? But perhaps she had already sussed that out, too. He tensed, trying to feel if his strength was being sapped. Though he knew it must be, it was too subtle to notice.

Arthur had been backed against a tree, but with a well-timed duck he missed the incoming blade, which got stuck in the trunk behind him. With a shove to Gwaine's stomach he tried to separate opponent from blade, but Gwaine held fast and his sword came free with him. They re-engaged, parrying viciously.

"Who do _you_ think will win?" Gwen asked coolly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and giving Arthur another charming smile.

_What was she playing at? She'd sapped Arthur's strength!_ Merlin gave her a long look, then replied, equally coolly, "Gwaine." He hoped that, if it was possible, she would be affronted by his coldness, but instead she replied,

"You're meant to say Arthur."

Merlin briefly stalled and looked away. Arthur was giving it all his effort now and the fight was becoming more intense, Gwaine's smile slipping into determination as they locked blades, competing for the best position. Merlin looked back at Gwen, thinking to himself. The Ela knew him, he realised, probably better than anyone else there. The thought made him feel sad in a way, but it was only a natural ability of the Ela – there was no real relationship there.

After several rapid blows Arthur and Gwaine span apart, slowly circling each other until Gwaine had his back to Merlin, at which point he lunged once more at Arthur, hair flying. They fought closer now, more with fists and arms and legs as their swords pushed up against each other, inches from their faces. But by now it was clear that Gwaine had the upper hand. Arthur, tired, was flagging. Worse still, he kept casting glances over at Gwen, who was smiling and biting her lip. She wasn't doing anything distracting – Merlin reckoned Arthur was only looking at her now because he wanted to know how she was responding to his performance, if she could tell he was weakening. And of course each glance drained him of more energy, each look made his chances worse.

With a triumphant shout Gwaine shoved his sword hard against Arthur's, locking it at the hilt and with a carefully placed foot tripping him over onto his back. Symbolically he touched the edge of the blade against Arthur's neck.

"I win."

Arthur rolled away and stood up, brushing himself down. Everything was now unnervingly quiet. Gwaine sheathed his sword and headed over to Merlin.

"How did I do?"

Merlin smiled, and feeling slightly intimidated with Gwaine towering over him, stood up. He turned slightly and began to walk away from the clearing, leaving Gwen to talk to Arthur. Gwaine followed him.

"Mind you, Arthur was rather… distracted," he commented humorously when they were a reasonable distance away.

"Yes, Gwen…" Merlin trailed off.

"Then again, I was quite distracted myself."

"Gwen was rather –"

"Oh no, I'm not talking about Gwen." He grinned at Merlin.

For some reason Merlin's breath caught. "Eh?"

Gwaine swung a friendly arm around his shoulder. "I'm starving – you do realise we haven't had breakfast yet?"

Merlin shrugged. "All the food is back at camp."

"So? I could hunt something."

Merlin shook his head with a smile. "After the last time?"

"I would have caught it if it hadn't jumped out of the way."

"Most people could catch a fawn if it didn't move," Merlin teased.

"Oi, I'm a brilliant fighter," Gwaine boasted playfully, gently punching his shoulder. Merlin paused then awkwardly mirrored the gesture, smiling. Gwaine's arm was solid muscle against his fist. He pretended not to notice.

"You beat Arthur," he allowed with a shrug.

"And I could beat a fawn," Gwaine concluded. "I could certainly beat _you_ any day."

He grabbed Merlin unexpectedly by the arms and pinned him against the nearest tree as if to prove his point. Merlin stared back at him unmoving, surprised.

"You're meant to resist," Gwaine pointed out with a grin.

"I wasn't expecting that," Merlin mumbled.

"And if you were?"

Merlin couldn't quite catch his meaning. "I'd dodge," he answered.

Gwaine let go of his arms and they resumed walking. "You wouldn't fight me then?" he asked.

Merlin sensed again that there was something he was missing but he replied simply, "I don't have a sword."

They wandered further into the forest, Merlin thinking over the fight. Even tired, it had still been a reasonably close match between them. Part of him felt proud of Arthur for that. But Arthur had still lost. Merlin wondered what Gwen would be saying to him back at camp, how she would comfort him.

"What if I gave you a sword?" Gwaine asked, continuing their conversation.

"I…don't know." He knew he didn't stand a chance of beating Gwaine at a swordfight, but he wasn't about to put himself down.

"Come on, we're not that unevenly matched are we?" Gwaine grinned.

Merlin thought of his magic. "No." Not that Gwaine knew about that.

They continued to walk further into the forest. Gwaine sighed. "What should I have for breakfast then? Are those edible?" He pointed to some red and white-spotted mushrooms nearby.

"No."

"And that?" He pointed to a random shrub.

"_Gwaine_."

"What?"

Merlin wondered if Gwaine was going to try hunting again. The thought made him smile. He was grateful for the sunlight; it warmed him pleasantly as he looked for a good place to sit down and waste time before they went back to camp. He didn't want to face the Ela again just yet. But as there didn't seem to be anywhere that looked particularly comfortable he simply stopped and sat down at the base of the next tree. Gwaine sat down beside him, twisting his sword lazily in his right hand and watching the blade glint in the sunlight.

Merlin's thoughts returned once more to the previous night. So he'd confessed to the Ela – what now? Did he have to repeat it all again with the real Arthur? Just the thought made him feel tired, daunted. Did he really want to know Arthur's response, or had he just been trying to sort out his own feelings? And even the Ela, acting as Arthur, had rejected him. The Ela was meant to thrive on attention; it would surely have more to gain from returning his feelings, and yet it hadn't. Why not? The Ela knew Arthur – would returning Merlin's sentiments have been so very out of character? The thought made him sad. It meant that at best the Ela had been acting in character by rejecting Merlin in that gentle way, or at worst, to get the most attention, the Ela had actually acted nicer than the real Arthur would. He sighed.

"Well I suppose there's always _grass_ to eat," Gwaine commented absently, interrupting his thoughts.

Merlin laughed at the timing of the statement – it had sounded like a truly appalling attempt at consoling.

"It's not _that_ funny," Gwaine complained. "I'm hungry."

Merlin shrugged. "Head back then – I'm sure Arthur's still got some food."

"They only brought enough for the two of them, really. No, I think I'll get out of this forest for a bit and buy some food." He stood up slowly and stretched. "You coming?"

Merlin looked up at him, thinking for a moment. "Okay."

Gwaine helped him to his feet and they began to walk.

* * *

Later, after a filling belated breakfast of bread and cheese, they arrived back at the forest with a small pack of supplies. Merlin felt obliged to head back to the caves to keep an eye on Arthur and the Gwen Ela, but Gwaine persuaded him to explore more of the forest with him instead.

"Arthur can look after himself, no need to mother him Merlin," he had reasoned with a grin. Selfishly unwilling to encounter the Ela again, if only for a little while, Merlin had consented, though swearing he would try and capture the Ela again in the evening.

They headed further into the forest, Gwaine taking the lead. There was still plenty of sunshine and they progressed leisurely, enjoying the fresh air. They walked aimlessly for a while, following whatever happened to look like the most interesting route at the time. Merlin couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a stroll like this – most of his life was usually taken with chores. He began to lose his bearings as the trees became taller, towering above them. As they advanced even further into the forest he noted that Gwaine's eyes were scanning from tree to tree, as if assessing them. A small smile was beginning at the edge of his mouth and Merlin watched it spread with bemusement, wondering if he was looking for some sort of food source again.

"What are you looking for?" he finally asked as Gwaine walked up to one of them, patting the bark speculatively.

Gwaine looked at him, his smile now a full grin. "Sturdy looking branches, evenly spaced, preferably with a low starting –"

"There's no food up there, you know."

Gwaine laughed. "I wasn't actually thinking of that."

"Then why –"

"Why not?"

Merlin just looked at him.

"It might be fun. Relive some childhood memories." Gwaine gestured up the trunk generously. "You can go up first to check it's safe if you want."

"I never really climbed trees that much in my childhood. And I don't think –"

"Time to make up for it now then. Go on."

"I'm sure there are better ways to pass the time," Merlin protested.

"Think of them whilst you climb." Gwaine grinned.

"Er…"

"Or you can pretend it's because we're lost and being higher up might give us a better vantage point to work out a way back." He shot Merlin a look of amused apology.

Merlin looked at him, suspecting that had been his real reason all along. "Please say we're not lo–"

"After you." With an easy manoeuvre he lifted Merlin off his feet and up towards the first branch. Merlin froze, startled, but as Gwaine removed his hands he had no choice but to scrabble up or otherwise fall. He looked down. He hadn't been lifted too far up, but just high enough to make for a potentially ankle-spraining jump down. After a pause he looked up. All the branches spread out fairly invitingly, looking easy enough to climb. He looked back at Gwaine.

"Go on – I'll come up after you."

Merlin hesitated a moment. Then with a small smile and a shake of the head he reached up to the next branch and bean to climb.

As soon as he moved off his branch he heard Gwaine start to climb up behind him, sticking his sword into the trunk and using the hilt as a leg-up. Merlin began to climb higher but then hesitated, slightly nervous. Gwaine pushed him up from behind. Merlin looked down at him.

"Did you just…?"

"What?" Gwaine grinned.

Merlin shook his head dismissively and resumed climbing. He reached just over halfway before stopping – the branches further up looked too thin to sit on comfortably, and he wanted a break. He also knew the further up they went the longer it would take for them to get down. With a sigh he stopped and perched himself tentatively on one of the nearest branches.

"Y'alright?" Gwaine pulled himself up next to him, straddling the branch confidently and smiling at Merlin. He surveyed Merlin's position critically. "Don't sit side-saddle like a girl, you'll fall off." He took hold of Merlin's shoulders and twisted his torso around so that they were facing one another, an awkward position that forced Merlin to shift his legs as Gwaine suggested.

"There, that's better," Gwaine commented, grinning at him as he relinquished his hold on Merlin's shoulders. He gestured around absently. "Not a bad view."

Merlin looked around. It was fairly impressive – though most of what he could see was simply more canopy. His sitting position didn't make for a good viewing point anyway as he had to twist his back or neck to look around. The thing easiest to look at was Gwaine. Somehow the way that Gwaine was sitting, straddling the branch with a playful smile, was oddly provocative, though he wasn't sure why.

"You know, I've always liked you Merlin," Gwaine commented.

Merlin smiled.

"It would be nice if we could meet at some other time – you know, instead of trying to save Arthur's life. Not that that isn't honourable." Gwaine grinned.

"Yes, it would," Merlin replied thoughtfully. Perhaps it had been better that he had confessed to the Ela after all. He had sorted out his feelings and Arthur was none the wiser – essentially, he would face no consequences, though the Ela still needed to be caught. And he was beginning to wonder if Arthur…had been the one for him after all. He felt better about it all now, at any rate. He looked away, embarrassed with his own honesty. "It would be nice," he mumbled. Then he turned away, remembering the task in hand, and pointed into the distance.

"I think we came from that direction."

Gwaine followed his gaze and shook his head. "No, I think it was _that_ way." He gently took hold of Merlin's hand and redirected it slightly towards the left. His hand felt warm against Merlin's wrist.

"I don't think so…" Merlin frowned, trying to remember.

"It was in that general direction. I guess if we walk back that way we'll see something we recognise," Gwaine suggested.

Merlin nodded.

Gwaine grinned. "I suppose we'd better get out of this tree then."

* * *

Evening came at last. Despite what they had thought it had actually taken several hours to make it back to the caves. It seemed they had managed to get even more lost heading back than they had been heading out. Merlin blamed Gwaine, even though he hadn't had any more of a clue where they were going than Gwaine did. They shared dinner together with Arthur and Gwen and then split off into their separate sections of the cave. Merlin would wait for the Ela, and then Gwaine would step in and help when it appeared. They had agreed it between themselves earlier, deciding that if one of them could pin down its larger form then the other would have more of a chance grabbing the glowing area.

As the darkness began to settle in Merlin made himself as comfortable as possible, determined to stay awake even though a whole day's walking on top of the previous Ela encounters had tired him considerably. He forced himself to think of the best possible scenario – they would catch the Ela, and then he could go to sleep. All he had to do for now was stay awake. The Ela would surely gravitate to whoever could offer it the most attention – and Arthur would be asleep, making that person Merlin, as he had been the previous two nights.

After a while the caves became quiet, presumably as Arthur and the Ela lay down to sleep. Merlin sat as still as possible, adjusting himself to the quiet. In the darkness it felt like a long wait. He couldn't hear anything. Was Arthur asleep yet? He shifted nervously, unwilling to be the Ela's victim again, although he knew it wouldn't physically harm him. The person who would suffer the worst from this whole experience would be Arthur. But then _he_ didn't know what was really happening – in his ignorance he was just enjoying a few days out with Gwen.

The silence continued. Where was the Ela? Merlin waited another minute, and then stood and gradually advanced towards the main cave. Perhaps now that the Ela knew that he knew what it was it was keeping itself to itself, biding time with Arthur. He crept out a little further. The moonlight filtered steadily into the main cave. He looked around nervously and then gradually spread his arms wide, as if to offer himself for attention. _Where was it?_

"Looking for someone?"

Merlin spun back around. On the floor a few metres away Gwaine was posed provocatively on his side, topless. Merlin stared for a moment, his heart rate accelerating almost automatically. But he wasn't going to fall for the same trick three times in a row. He cast a quick glance over the man in front of him. Sure enough, there on his belt was the glowing yellow spot he was looking for.

"You can't fool me. I know what you are." He advanced towards the Gwaine Ela slowly.

Gwaine grinned at him. "Do you like this form?"

"I'm not talking to you."

"Aw, spoilsport."

Merlin glared at him. "Why are you doing this?" he protested angrily, hoping to buy time as he moved closer.

The Gwaine Ela remained where it was, unfazed. "You know what I like. I like the attention." He lowered his voice seductively, "And I know what _you_ like."

Merlin shook his head, almost laughing. "No, I don't –"

"I knew the way back to camp," Gwaine interrupted, "It was in the other direction, you know. I just took a longer route to spend more time with you."

Merlin stared at him. "That's not true. I _know_ you're just saying it."

"I've always liked you Merlin." The familiar words had a suggestive twist.

"No, he didn't mean…" Merlin shook his head.

Gwaine grinned and slowly stood up. "Isn't it time you had some good luck for a change?" He wandered casually towards Merlin, closer and closer. "Don't you like me?"

Merlin looked up at him. It was true. He _did _like Gwaine. He wasn't sure exactly when the transition had happened, but the passing hours of that day had decided it. Gwaine had been a constant friend to him, eager to help when he was needed, and when he was around life felt happier somehow, and less lonely. He talked to Merlin as an equal, as a friend, and appreciated him in a way that Arthur never would. Merlin took a deep breath, dismissing the thought. It was never going to happen between them and what he needed to think about now was catching the Ela.

The Gwaine Ela smiled and ran a hand over his chest. "Go on. Look. Why not take the opportunity? You have nothing to lose…"

It was true. He did have nothing to lose. It wasn't the real Gwaine; there would be no consequences. And the Ela could act as Gwaine surely never would… But Merlin shook his head. "I'm going to catch you. And you will pay for what you've done." He sounded braver than he felt.

"But you don't _want_ to catch me, do you? You want to know what happens…" Gwaine reached out and placed a hand on Merlin's waist. Merlin's breath caught as the Ela leant closer. His mind knew it wasn't Gwaine but his body evidently knew no discretion. He blushed as Gwaine's bare chest drew closer. Then –

"Er…_Gwaine?_"

The familiar voice sent Merlin leaping away from the Ela with a jolt. He whirled around to find the real Gwaine looking at him from across the cave, wearing a look of bemused confusion.

"So that thing really can change shape…" Gwaine muttered.

"Yeah," Merlin mumbled, unbearably embarrassed. The Ela moved from behind Merlin and began to move towards Gwaine.

"Like looking into a mirror…" Gwaine trailed off.

"Or a dream," the Ela grinned, and then in a sudden swirl of colour it changed form. It changed into Merlin.

"Ignore it – we just have to catch it," Merlin instructed.

"Right." But as Gwaine advanced the Merlin Ela removed its neckerchief with a mischievous grin and sauntered towards him before hooking the neckerchief around his neck and using it to pull him close.

"Hold me," it whispered, and pressed itself up against him.

"How the hell do I catch this thing?" Gwaine blurted out.

"Grab it where it glows!" Merlin instructed, his cheeks flaming as the Ela used his arms to entwine itself sensually around Gwaine.

"I can't see where it's glowing!"

Merlin could barely stand look at it, but he forced his eyes to search for the glow. "I can't see it either!" He began to panic. What on earth was the Ela planning to do?

Gwaine ran his hands absently over the Ela, fumbling in the hope of seizing the glowing part, but with each touch the Ela sighed and slid against him distractingly.

"Ok, this is wrong. I'm not doing this!" By now blushing himself Gwaine pushed the Ela back forcefully. It staggered backwards into the centre of the cave but quickly recovered with a smile, its eyes never leaving Gwaine.

"Where's the glow?" Gwaine looked from one Merlin to the other.

Merlin looked and saw, and looked away again, not knowing how to say. But it appeared that Gwaine saw too.

"Oh god, I am _not_ groping that thing!" He turned to Merlin.

Merlin shook his head. "I'm not… I can't…" Merlin looked to Gwaine desperately.

"Don't look at me, it's your body," Gwaine protested.

The Merlin Ela ran one finger teasingly around the top of its trousers, and then slipping a thumb in one side gently began to pull the edge downwards.

"For god's sake, grab him before he starts stripping!" Merlin yelled.

Gwaine held up his hands. "Noo-o. You do it."

Bracing himself, and sensing that he had no choice, Merlin began to head for it, but then –

"Has anyone seen Gwen – oh, there you are." It was Arthur.

The Ela had instantly changed back into Gwen and turned to smile at him, unperturbed. "Yes?"

"I just woke up – there was some noise – and I didn't know where you'd gone." He looked between Gwaine and Merlin. "What on earth were you saying?"

"Oh, um…" Merlin faltered, "I was just, er, saying that we needed to get hold of you…before you…"

"I heard 'starts stripping'," Arthur recalled, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Yes, I thought you were going to have a shower…back in the caves…I heard some water running back there earlier," Merlin improvised uselessly.

Arthur shook his head. "You know sometimes Merlin you come up with some absolute nonsense. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Just to settle a dispute," Gwaine supplied.

"About what?"

"The existence of magical creatures. What do you think?"

Arthur shook his head, and looked from him to Merlin. "Seriously, you were discussing that _now_?"

"I know," the Ela answered. "I told them – complete nonsense." She cast a look between Merlin and Gwaine and then walked over to Arthur. They turned together and headed back down towards their area of the caves, talking between themselves. Merlin slowly looked to Gwaine.

"The existence of magical creatures…" He almost felt like laughing.

Gwaine grinned. "He seemed to buy it." He paused. "But Merlin, you look…awful."

"Oh, thanks."

"Seriously – are you okay?" Gwaine turned towards him more fully, looking concerned. "You look like you haven't slept properly in…weeks."

"Must be the Ela…" Merlin took a deep breath, and yawned. Only now that he was thinking about it he could feel the weariness began to catch up with him, bit by bit. His muscles seemed to tire right there on the spot, almost as if they were on the brink of giving up entirely, and soon they felt so tired he could barely understand how they were holding him up. He swayed slightly where he stood. "But it seems to be…catching up with me now…" His eyelids began to droop. He must have been too distracted by the Ela to notice before, what with the adrenalin…

"Merlin, I think you should sit down or something."

Merlin laughed dryly, and the effort seemed to take all his breath. "No, I'm fine… You don't look…too great yourself…" But his consciousness felt like it was detaching, drifting in and out even as he spoke. A tendon in his left knee twitched, as if it was about to give out. Darkness swirled in front of his eyes. "Gwaine…?" he croaked.

The last thing he was aware of was Gwaine rushing towards him as he faded into oblivion.


End file.
